


Ritual

by jackwabbit



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: (Re)established Relationship, A Touch of Angst Because It's Me, But Apparently I Also Do Domestic Bliss Now?, Culmets - Freeform, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:28:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26667460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackwabbit/pseuds/jackwabbit
Summary: Season: Post-two, Pre-three.Spoilers: General Series Knowledge Through The End of Season Two.Summary: We all have our rituals. And when they change, those who love us notice. Especially if those people are hyper-observant scientists who don’t let go of a problem until they find the answer.Note: This fic was inspired by a lovely piece of art by Jemppu.Pleasesee notes below. Also, happy season three day to all!
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Ritual

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jemppu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemppu/gifts).



Hugh is a creature of habit, and his nightly routine rarely varies.

Tonight is no exception. As Paul reads beside him in bed, Hugh feels his eyelids growing heavy, so he sets his own PADD aside and reaches for the cloth on the nightstand. He knows this particular habit of his sometimes annoys Paul, but it calms him, so he gets to it anyway.

It’s not long before a voice interrupts him.

“Do you have to do that?”

 _Speak of the devil_ , thinks Hugh. Aloud, he says, “You know I do.”

“It’s hardly necessary to do it every day.”

“It relaxes me.”

Paul shrugs. “Suit yourself.”

“I will, thank you very much.”

Hugh goes back to his task and Paul goes back to his book.

But it’s not long before Paul interrupts again.

“I can hear you thinking from here.”

Hugh looks up, startled. That’s usually his line.

“What?”

“Just wondering what’s wrong,” says Paul, still reading.

“Why do you think something’s wrong?”

Paul sits up and sets his PADD aside. “Because you do this every night – which is positively baffling, by the way, but that’s not the point. The point is that you’re at least quick about it. It takes you about five minutes. Eight on a bad night. You’ve been at it for ten now, and you’re nowhere near done. So, what’s up?”

Hugh stares at his partner as if he’s grown a second head.

“Am I really that predictable?”

Paul gives Hugh a look, and Hugh hears his “really?” as clearly as if he’d spoken.

“Okay,” says Hugh. “So I am.”

“Yeah, you are,” agrees Paul, turning to face Hugh. “So, again: what’s up?”

“It’s nothing,” says Hugh, rolling one shoulder in a slight shrug.

Paul’s eyes narrow. He scrutinizes Hugh for a moment before speaking.

“Doesn’t look like nothing,” he says.

Hugh sighs. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

Paul shakes his head, expression unchanged. Hugh feels like a particularly interesting lab specimen. And if there’s one thing Hugh Culber knows about Paul Stamets, it’s that lab specimens do not get left alone until they give up their secrets.

So he sets the cloth down on the bed between them and turns toward his partner.

“Fine,” he says. “I heard some of the other doctors talking about taking the bridge officer’s test.”

He doesn’t continue, and Paul’s scrutiny turns into confusion.

“And?” he prompts.

Hugh opens and shuts his mouth a few times, looks away then back, and shrugs before finally answering.

“And I don’t know. I never really thought about it, but I have more than enough time served.”

Paul sits up straighter.

“You want to be a bridge officer?” he asks, tone disbelieving.

Hugh feels a surge of annoyance at Paul’s tone and shoots him a glare. “So what if I did?”

Paul looks a little shocked at Hugh’s response. His thumb starts running over the edge of his index finger and he starts stammering.

“Well, yeah. I mean, that’d be fine. I guess. Whatever you want. I don’t know.”

Hugh’s momentary anger recedes in the face of Paul’s reaction. He lays a hand over Paul’s to settle his movements.

“It was just a thought. I haven’t made any decisions.”

Paul takes a deep breath and speaks much more slowly, his face that mixture of concerned and confident he does so well. “I think you should do it. If you want to.”

Hugh smiles. “Thanks. But…”

“But what?”

“But I like us being the same rank. Even if…”

Hugh trails off and Paul picks up the thread. “Even if it happened while you were gone.”

“Yeah,” says Hugh, with slight snort. “That part was a pleasant surprise. By the way, I don’t think I ever said congratulations, Commander.”

“Why, thank you, Commander,” Paul says. He delivers this in a serious tone and with a stiff, formal nod.

Hugh chuckles.

“Well, that settles it.”

“Settles what?” asks Paul.

“I’m not taking the test.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m going to hold on to that joke as long as I can.”

Paul groans.

“What?” asks Hugh.

“You’re going to use that at every party you drag me to from here on out, aren’t you?”

Hugh gives Paul his best smile.

“You know it.”

Paul sighs.

“Well,” he says, “At least you made a decision.”

“Indeed,” says Hugh. “Thanks for the help.”

Paul just stares at him in response as Hugh’s smile slowly morphs into a smirk.

“Still…” Hugh says, “it would be nice to give you orders. I wouldn’t mind being the boss.”

Paul gives Hugh a pointed look.

“And when have you ever been the boss of me?”

Hugh snorts. “Fair point.”

“Thank you,” says Paul, inclining his head in a gesture of acknowledgement that somehow still manages to drip arrogance.

Hugh’s eyes narrow ever so slightly.

“But you know…” he muses, “Captain Culber does have a nice ring to it.”

The pillow comes out of nowhere to knock the shit-eating grin off his face.

It’s a good while later when the laughter dies down, the bed is put back into some semblance of order after soft kisses are exchanged, and the couple settles back in for the night.

Paul reads a bit more, then nods off.

And Hugh, of course, polishes their badges again.

* * *

A/N: So. I had this nebulous plot bunny regarding Hugh and Paul being the same rank. I still have my notes on this, and there may be a few more stories to come out of it. But my brain was thinking on this, I guess, when I came across this art (click it to read their work, too) by [Jemppu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jemppu/pseuds/Jemppu):

[ ](https://jmalkki.tumblr.com/post/181695993604/polishing-badges-just-two-officers-of-the-fleet)

And the rest, as they say, is history. Thank you to Jemppu for giving me their blessing to share this. I gift this work freely to them in exchange.


End file.
